Eden
by Chesiere Cat
Summary: Kougami takes a gamble letting Makishima live, taking him away from Japan. Still, the effect of Psycho-Hazard has bred a hatred against Sibyl in the form of underground organizations. Six months after the hyper oat field incident, a certain condition has Kougami and Makishima return once again to Japan. With more at stake than the obvious risks. BL. Eventual Kougami/Makishima.
1. Prologue

**Title:** Eden

**Pairing:** Mainly Kougami Shinya/Makishima Shogo

**Rating:** T (PG-13); rating may go up

**Warning:** BL, GL (as GL is canon in Psycho-Pass)

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"Of all creatures that breathe and move upon the earth, nothing is bred that is weaker than man."

—Homer, _The Odyssey_

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**Eden**

**Prologue**

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The city is always dark. So dark even under the glare of the sun, and even darker when the blanket of the night steals the brilliance away from its sky. For no matter how radiance this city is with all the light from its many skyscrapers, the shadow never wanes from the heart of men; so prone to fall prey to doubt whereas the ignorance live in the darkness of ambiguity. For it is always easier to lose oneself in the comfort of oblivion.

Some of those conscious of the change in the city talk about it in hushed whispers while some other shut themselves behind the door of their own cells, hoping to drown out the news with every contentment their little world has to offer. Life is harsh to you if you have a cloudy psycho-pass.

Pitter-patter. Pitter-patter. The rain falls.

Large droplets keep falling from the gray sky. Their coldness seeps even through the fabric of his cloak, pricking his skin like needles. The street scanners still work even when splashes of rain blur their cameras, still monitoring this rain-soaked world as eyes of Sibyl. And as the street is currently empty, all of those eyes turn, staring through their misty lens at the sole figure walking across the street.

"_Caelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt._"

The cloaked figure stops. Amber eyes fix upon those cameras from under his hood. The scanners read nothing out of ordinary and he continues his steps, lips curving into a smile as he is reminded of a quote from Horace.

"_They change their sky, not their soul, who rush across the sea._"

The hood obscures his face from getting detected by the street cameras. Yet, even as a man declared dead in the record of the government, he wonders if being away from this city he was born in for four and a half months really changes him.

His psycho-pass still remains clear - still pure white as freshly fallen snow.

He keeps walking down the empty path, turning corners after corners until he comes to stand before the serene lamp light illuminating a door at the end of an alley. Blinking the droplets of water away from his eyelashes, he looks at the faded sign that is the name of the inn. _The Odyssey. _He then shifts to gaze once again at the vision of Sibyl's raining world.

Some say rain falls from heaven but here, there is no heaven beyond the thick veil of dark clouds or even up and up, higher in the welkin.

The man turns, opens the door he doesn't bother to knock and enters, leaving the world of heavy rain behind.

…

The rain makes the path slippery and she could have slipped if she hadn't caught the nearby rail just in time. The young inspector pants and looks around, trying to catch sight of her companion. Enforcer Kunizuka has always been cool and collected. That was also her impression of the woman even when she first met her at Oso Academy. However, that seems to have changed upon the sight of those criminals they are currently pursuing. One of them is a woman with blue hair.

_Could it be… Maybe it's someone she knows…?_

Brushing her soppy bangs away from her eyes, Shimotsuki Mika carefully climbs down the ladder. She then finds herself in the middle of what seems like an old playground - abandoned because of a construction that is also never finished. Rusty metal pipes lie in tatter, along with rubbles of bricks, glass shards and wooden scrapes over one half of the lawn, and in one corner, there still stands an old swing.

Creak. Creak.

"Kunizuka-san?"

The swing creaks, moving back and forth. The sound makes the woman tighten her grip on her Dominator. Droplets of cold water roll down her skin and she suddenly feels shivers run down her spine.

_It could be the wind that moves the swing… _That, she tells herself.

Still, she'd better take caution. Earlier she has tried to contact Inspector Tsunemori - as the inspector and Enforcer Ginoza went investigate in another direction - but the signal seems to have died since she entered this area. Now with her losing sight of Kunizuka, Shimotsuki Mika knows she is now on her own.

Creak. Creak.

The old swing creaks, the harsh wind sending it moving back and forth, and she feels again that primal instinct known very early to the race of men:

Fear.

Back and forth, back and forth, the old swing swings; the creaking sounds as if the old ropes can snap any minute.

In her mind, flashes again the memories of her best friend whose death she always feels she is responsible - if she hadn't told her about Oryo Rikako, her friend wouldn't have died. From that day, Mika has never fully forgiven herself. She thought she could do something to prevent crimes like that to ever happen again. That is why she has become an inspector. But now she starts to wonder if she can even save herself.

Back and forth, back and forth, the old swing swings. Mika swallows, now holding the Dominator with both hands. She can do it, she tells herself. Yes, she can.

Pitter-patter. Pitter-patter. The rain falls.

And back and forth, back and forth, the old rope snaps.

The swing sags to one side and twirls around, spinning in the air with its remaining rope twisting. And finally, when the remaining rope cannot endure the strain anymore, the swing falls and hits the ground, sending a loud clang that echoes over this deserted place.

As if the sound has signaled the end of eerie silence, a small man jumps out from his hiding place among the rubbles, charging at her with a knife!

Mika cries out but dodges just in time to the side, the man knife missing her by mere centimeters. She forces her shaky hands to stay steady and aims the Dominator at the man.

"!"

The phone signal dying is one thing but even her Dominator doesn't seem to work either.

"Surprise, little girl?" The man sneers. "Your powerful Dominator is but a chunk of useless metal when the signal is absent, isn't it?" He licks his knife as he moves closer to the girl.

"If you surrender your body, I will just take it easy and maybe let you go, you know. I mean… you are quite pretty~"

Mika pales at the man's suggestion. She gauges the distance between herself and the man and is sure if she is fast enough, she is still able to run away. Her hope is immediately crushed as another man, much bulkier than the one with the knife appears at the top of the ladder. He jumps down and is now behind her, blocking her only way of escape.

"Don't even try to run, little girl." The bulky man smirks, quickly grabbing her in his arms. She tries to struggle as the smaller man comes at her with the knife.

"Let's take care of your clothes first."

The young inspector is ready to scream at the top of her lungs when a punch suddenly sends the man holding her flying.

…

A cloaked figure stands in the middle of the old playground. His tall frame towers over the man he sent to the ground with a heavy punch. His dark eyes - even darker than the color of the current sky - gaze momentarily at her.

"Stay back." His words are calm as if the weapon the still standing man has doesn't bother him.

Meanwhile, the bulky man recollects himself and slowly stands up. The cloaked man only spares him a glance, looking not at all fazed.

The two criminals encircle the man. And then they charge.

…

Pitter-patter. Pitter-patter.

Droplets of rain rap, tapping at the glass surface of the window. From where he sits, in a small wooden chair next to the floor lamp, he can still see the raining sky. It has been raining for hours.

Golden eyes stare for a while out the rain-blurred window. The view provided by this rundown inn's location is very limited. It is nothing compared to the luxury he had when he lived here.

The city that he was born in… The world that rejects his humanity…

Even though he so much loves to gaze at its mesmerizing scenery of technology and skyscrapers, somehow having the view blocked away makes it quite…different.

The sound of familiar footsteps make him close his book. There is no need to get up as he hasn't locked the door.

He only turns as it swings open. And greets the arrival of his roommate with a smile.

"How does it feel to be back here again after four and a half months?"

Kougami Shinya tosses his wet cloak carelessly aside as he regards the white-haired man with a calculating gaze. Then, he finally speaks:

"I was expecting you with some quotes about Ulysses returning to Ithaca."

Makishima Shogo's smile widens.

"Ulysses needed to be convinced of Ithaca himself before he could go convince others." He gently puts his book on the table. "For me, it still seems like a dream."

Pitter-patter. Pitter-patter. The rain sounds. And then the door slams shut.

…

Shimotsuki Mika doesn't know who her savior is. He easily took down those two men without much effort and she hardly got more than a glimpse at his face. Nevertheless, she is certain she has once seen those eyes before.

Inspector Tsunemori Akane found her a little while after the man left - as sudden as when he appeared. Her senior said she was following the trail someone left as if wanting her to quickly come and take her junior away from this place.

They still cannot find the trace of Kunizuka. Inspector Tsunemori is adamant the enforcer didn't just abandon her duty and run away, though.

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**To be continued…**

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That's all for the Prologue. Explanation of things happened here will be revealed in the next chapters.

Reviews will be very much appreciated. (And I will admit they help some lazy bums work a bit faster. *cough*)


	2. Chapter I

"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light."

—Plato

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**Eden**

**Chapter I **

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_Has the sky always been this clear, I wonder? From what I remember, my earliest memories began with flood of city light… The magnificence of this city at night has imprinted itself forever in my mind. _

_It was that time when the first snow of the year fell. How flakes of falling snow glittered… How the wind swayed those flakes hither and thither… And how they blazed exultingly from reflections of the city's radiant light. They danced in the air, forming visions like those inside a kaleidoscope. The city itself shone like jewel before my eyes. Its brilliance, at that time I thought, was incomparable and couldn't be found anywhere else on earth. _

_It was only a few years after that I learned how my first impression was accurate. _

He listened as he sank to his knees. The wind crooned gently as it passed over the hilltop. He listened and listened and it became clearer of that sound of the wind in the wheat. He took a deep breath, enjoying the scent of fresh air that rustled his silvery locks. And he continued to listen… listen for the sound of that hound tracing his steps. And he waited. For he knew the hound could sniff his death coming. Droplets of life escaped him, tricking down his skin and seeping through the fabric of his clothes like crimson rivulet. He waited and waited, knowing the end had drawn near.

It was ironic how he had become infatuated with this city from those early memories associated with the splendor of glowing lights. Like a moth attracted to death by a burning fire. Playing with the fire without wanting to leave or go elsewhere. There was no city left on earth as beautiful a scenery whether it was to be or not to be the peak of human civilization. For in his eyes, the Prophetess' perfection had long turned into dust under heaps after heaps of dead bodies.

_Who isn't alone in this society?_

**This little world of Sibyl was isolated.**

After his realization of this world's anomaly, he had come to be skeptical of its light.

_In this world where everyone is watched over by the system and lives within the system's standards, a community isn't necessary. Everyone lives in their little cells and the system tames them by giving them each their own personal serenity._

**Everyone was isolated. **

_Have you ever doubted the warmth of the sun even when you see how its light casts shadows? Have you ever wondered how many children tried to play with a spraying fountain before they realized the water was but the hologram of desired projection? _

So many truths could be hidden behind the illusions of holograms.

**Everything could be replaced.**

_Everyone is alone, everyone is empty. People no longed have need of others. You can always find a spare for a talent. Relationships can easily be replaced. I had gotten bored of a world like that._

As he waited atop the hill - the ground solid underneath him - he could hear the hound's footsteps. He would no longer run even if the last light of the sun died and made it easy to hide in the dark.

_But for some reason... The thought that someone other than you might kill me never occurred to me. _

His vision had already become blurry. And yet, as he tilted his gaze up toward the sky… He had never remembered ever seeing the sky this clear. It looked real even with his consciousness that began to fleet.

His bane had finally arrived - his footsteps heavier than the gentle rustling of the golden wheat - his shadow darker than the dying day. Even with his back on him, he could easily picture the man's expression. A man who was similar to him… one who knew well solitary… and one who didn't disregard his humanity for he could see the color of his sins. It was the end of their game. There would no longer be the continuation of this chase.

"Say, Kougami, what do you think... after this, will you be able to find a replacement for me?" That would be the last question.

And in that brief moment of silence, he silently felt his own anticipation. Perhaps he had always been waiting for this even before he and Kougami ever met.

"Sorry, but I hope I never do."

For Kougami's answer satisfied him, filling in that void in his mind that he had always sought its missing shape. A smile - for the first time so pure and genuine - graced his lips; relief and happiness reaching his amber eyes. Moonlight peeked through the slit of the drifting clouds. The man's gun was raised as he kept his gaze on the vision of the bright moon - so different from that he had always seen from inside the city. Life was but a dream of the suffering.

The gun sounded. And he found his consciousness slip away. Their game had come to an end.

…Except the rest wasn't silence.

…

Dark eyes watched the unconscious figure on the bed. The bandages wrapped around the lithe form turned slightly pink from the blood they absorbed. He considered applying another layer for a moment but then chose not to bother. He still didn't know what exactly made him decide against killing Makishima Shogo and opted instead to carry him here - his jacket soaked with Makishima's blood - in an attempt to save his life.

He watched as the man's chest rise and fall as steady as if he was having a good night's sleep; silvery threads framed about his face like an angelic halo. In his slumber, the man looked so peaceful and innocuous - almost to the point of absolute innocence. And yet he knew well how the man's look was but a deception just like his pure white psycho-pass. For Makishima Shogo was far from being innocent.

He was the epitome of the blackness of the abyss.

'_Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster… for when you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.'_

His eyes narrowed fractionally as he recalled the deeds Makishima had caused - one of them the very reason why they were both here. Taking a packet of cigarettes from his pocket, he slipped out one stick and put it between his lips. His frown deepened when he remembered how his lighter was kept in his now blood-soaked jacket. The next thing he knew was to control his temperament as he strode across the room to fetch the thing he needed, willing himself not to look at the sleeping figure on the bed in the middle of the room.

It was pure luck how the tools and medicines were still available in this deserted hospital which happened to be conveniently close to this area. And despite the lack of electricity, the water was still running. Kougami sat back on the metal stool as he successfully secured his lighter. Flame flickered and the next moment, gray smoke floated languidly in the air, filling the room with its scent. Taking a deep drag from his cancer stick, the ex-Enforcer reminisced how he had first came to know of this hospital.

Three years before all this… when he had still been an inspector; he remembered chasing a criminal who had made a hideout around this area. The criminal had tried to escape using the route by this hospital's sewer, and it was an unforgettable job involving lots of clambering and crawling that had left his well-tailored suit in a state beyond recognizable. In the end, though, it had been Sasayama's Eliminator that had executed the criminal.

Obsidian eyes now fixed on the form of Makishima. It had, for him, been long past the point of desiring revenge for Sasayama but an obsession so intense and unorthodox it drove him so far down the depth of the abyss. And in that abyss, it didn't matter to him who was the real monster. It was an obsession spun from hatred so long faded. It was hate spun from his very own demons.

And then, in his darkest moment, there came a light that shone through.

Tsunemori Akane. That girl and her belief of justice and her wish for a brighter future.

Perhaps it was her words, he wondered, that had caused his bullet to purposely miss. Perhaps it was her justice that had stopped him even though he believed his final decision had been resolute.

Without proper care and medication and the amount of blood Makishima had lost, there was no guarantee the man would survive. And despite having saved him, Kougami wouldn't care if Makishima died. If anything, Makishima deserved it. However, if the man did survive…

He blew out a puff of smoke.

Then, he would later have to decide which judgment he would eventually uphold.

…

Pale eyelids quivered, then they fluttered, allowing in slivers of light. Amber eyes soon opened, taking in the unfamiliar sight of what used to be a white and sanitized room.

"…" He tried to move but pain immediately attacked him, reminding him of the deep-cut wound in his chest. He gasped, instinctively moving his hand to hold his chest -

Clank.

- Only to find that his right - the more dextrous side - wrist was cuffed to the bed's steel bar.

The chiming sound of the handcuffs alerted the other occupant. Soon the distance between them was closed and grim shadow loomed over the fallen white angel.

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**To be continued...**

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This was supposed to be up a few days ago but since it was traditional new year here, I have been away from my computer. So... ^^;;

To clear up any possible misunderstanding, the prologue happened six months after the hyper oat field incident. This chapter, though, happened right after EP22.

Thank you for your support for the last chapter. Reviews are really, really appreciated. I promise to try keeping this story coming. :)


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